KCRW: Disneyland Characters Unionize As Company Invests in Parks

Mickey Mouse, Tigger, and Mulan now have a union to help them win a workplace happily ever after.

Character performers and the hosts that assist them in parades and meet-and-greets at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim voted 953 to 258 to join the Actors’ Equity Association. The National Labor Relations Board will certify the May 18 election results this week, if Disney does not file a challenge. 

Costumed characters will join other unionized Disney workers who believe they have new leverage amid a growing labor movement, ongoing contract negotiations, and the company’s plans to invest heavily in its theme parks.

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